Yeah that's why I'm hesitant to try Gravity's Rainbow. TCOL49 really interested me but no doubt that would have started to wane in a longer format. Have you read anything else by Pynchon?
Books The BOOK thread
- Thread starter Livvie
- Start date
Just started Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro. Been on my shelf for about 5 years and I've never really had the urge to read it despite hearing good things.
Does anybody here read mysteries?
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Nah, not yet. Got GR sitting there ready to go but keep putting it off.
I just finished my reading challenge of 100 books. Didn't think I'd make it.
In one year? Good going! What were the standouts?
Jayney Mac, that's a lot. Fair play.
Top picks?
Top picks?
100 in a year, that's insane.
I love reading, and I set myself a challenge of 25 books this year. I'm on 21 so hopefully I'll make it, but it's a real struggle with work and play.
I love reading, and I set myself a challenge of 25 books this year. I'm on 21 so hopefully I'll make it, but it's a real struggle with work and play.
Here are 8 books that got 5 stars from me:
- I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
- Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge by Laura Levine
- Defend and Betray by Anne Perry
- Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
- Educated by Tara Westover
- Iced by Carol Higgins Clark
- Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon
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I chronicled my reading on Goodreads. There are quite a few readers there for whom 100 books per year is the bare minimum. Some have read 250 book this year, for instance.
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I set myself 35 but will probably only hit 30. Will go for fifty next year but fark me does the year fly by.
I just finished a couple of books by Joan Didion; Slouching Towards Bethlehem and Play It As It Lays. The former is a superb collection of essays capturing 60s America, the centrepiece essay dispassionately exposing the Haight-Ashbury hippies as callow and inane. The latter is a seriously grim novel following a floundering actress in LA. Hard to enjoy but her writing is so clean and lucid.
I’m onto Helter Skelter now. It’s by Vince Bugliosi, the prosecutor for the Manson murders. It’s impossible to put down and combined with Didions work, has me down on the whole hippy movement at the moment.
I just finished a couple of books by Joan Didion; Slouching Towards Bethlehem and Play It As It Lays. The former is a superb collection of essays capturing 60s America, the centrepiece essay dispassionately exposing the Haight-Ashbury hippies as callow and inane. The latter is a seriously grim novel following a floundering actress in LA. Hard to enjoy but her writing is so clean and lucid.
I’m onto Helter Skelter now. It’s by Vince Bugliosi, the prosecutor for the Manson murders. It’s impossible to put down and combined with Didions work, has me down on the whole hippy movement at the moment.
I think I read 40 last year. I did a course in crime literature as well as working but my daily commute was 2 hours so I usually finished or almost finished a book every week, except for some heavy reads. I probably read 20 as part of the course and another 20 of my own.
This year I think I'll end up at about 20-25 but it's more difficult to be motivated when I don't really have to read, which is kind of sad to be honest. Especially as I have lots of books I really want to read.
This year I think I'll end up at about 20-25 but it's more difficult to be motivated when I don't really have to read, which is kind of sad to be honest. Especially as I have lots of books I really want to read.
Well if you go to Goodreads, you will usually find people that read so much more. I know one member who has already read more than 1,000 books.
But the important thing is to enjoy what you read (or learn from it if it is more for educational values).
I am not likely to reach my 2018 goal, and I don't know if I should try to push close to it or just read the books that are longer but are more likely to be more interesting. I don't mean the genres I read more easily are not interesting but I read more of the new books while in some other genres I pick the acclaimed titles.
Finished the first book of Killing Commandatore by Haruki Murakami (I am really not sure why I am still reading him but I will try to read the 2nd book this year) and finished City of Miracles (I really like better the two first that were more surprising and thrilling, there were nice moments though)
Currently reading Skyward by Sanderson (after the disappointment of his 3rd Legion novella, I really enjoyed it so far, it may be one of my top 5 readings)
But the important thing is to enjoy what you read (or learn from it if it is more for educational values).
I am not likely to reach my 2018 goal, and I don't know if I should try to push close to it or just read the books that are longer but are more likely to be more interesting. I don't mean the genres I read more easily are not interesting but I read more of the new books while in some other genres I pick the acclaimed titles.
Finished the first book of Killing Commandatore by Haruki Murakami (I am really not sure why I am still reading him but I will try to read the 2nd book this year) and finished City of Miracles (I really like better the two first that were more surprising and thrilling, there were nice moments though)
Currently reading Skyward by Sanderson (after the disappointment of his 3rd Legion novella, I really enjoyed it so far, it may be one of my top 5 readings)
Sounds interesting. Was that typically non-fiction? Any recommendations? The only true crime I've read was In Cold Blood by Capote, which I loved.
No I might have used the wrong expression. The course was Swedish crime novels through history (I'm Swedish) in chronological order. So from the 1800s until today basically. It was interesting enough but there were a lot of pretty awful books. Still, it was interesting seeing how the genre has changed through time, and I really enjoyed some of the older ones. I did go on a non-fiction run when I was done with the course and I barely read any crime novels today so yeah.
Sanderson regularly disappoints with his 3rd books in the series.
Currently I'm reading The Woman In White, by Wilkie Collins.
Let's see, half of 3rd book of Misborn wasn't really interesting, I am not sure what's supposed the 3rd of the second Mistborn trilogy so maybe? I found the 3rd book of Steelheart was ok especially after the 2nd one.
Finished Skyward, it was a fun read. Finished Loop, the 3rd book of Ring, first half was not scary and not interesting, I can't really accept the big twist.
Started The Poppy Wars, a quite pleasant reading though her author has really borrowed too much, yes I happen to like Sasuke from Naruto but I didn't wish to see a character with so much of his background in a novel. And the fact that some drivers of a certain real place make sure to kill the people they run over being too in this novel makes me wonder how much of the background of the novel is original (we got bits of real history too and lot of uses of Art of War). Yes, I know novels borrow a lot but usually not that obviously.
Started Gone Girl, read 13% and I don't like much the beginning, I am more tempted to DNF because I dislike the husband and I don't care about the wife, and from the beginning it seems obvious the author want to let us think the husband may be guilty or that the wife left on her own either to frame him or as a test for him.
Finished Skyward, it was a fun read. Finished Loop, the 3rd book of Ring, first half was not scary and not interesting, I can't really accept the big twist.
Started The Poppy Wars, a quite pleasant reading though her author has really borrowed too much, yes I happen to like Sasuke from Naruto but I didn't wish to see a character with so much of his background in a novel. And the fact that some drivers of a certain real place make sure to kill the people they run over being too in this novel makes me wonder how much of the background of the novel is original (we got bits of real history too and lot of uses of Art of War). Yes, I know novels borrow a lot but usually not that obviously.
Started Gone Girl, read 13% and I don't like much the beginning, I am more tempted to DNF because I dislike the husband and I don't care about the wife, and from the beginning it seems obvious the author want to let us think the husband may be guilty or that the wife left on her own either to frame him or as a test for him.
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The third Stormlight Archive book too was quite terrible.
Haven't read it yet, though I thought it was quite good based on the few posts I read mentioning it.
I will start it one year before the 5th book is out. Since the 5th is supposed to end the first part. And I am afraid I will forget too much of the books (I didn't remember who was Lift when I began reading Edgedancer). And I don't like enough this series so far to reread it. The first book is so incredibly slow and it is only after the 2/3 of the book there is something fun.
I will start it one year before the 5th book is out. Since the 5th is supposed to end the first part. And I am afraid I will forget too much of the books (I didn't remember who was Lift when I began reading Edgedancer). And I don't like enough this series so far to reread it. The first book is so incredibly slow and it is only after the 2/3 of the book there is something fun.
Just finished Ghost Flight by Bear Grylls. Was grand for a bit of escapism.
Does anyone else have a bad habit of reading a page or 2 and realising you've not been paying attention and have no idea what happened in those pages? Seems to be getting worse as I get older.
Yeah absolutely. I'll start thinking about things I need to do but my eyes will keep scrolling. I think the overuse of smart phones is making it worse.
If you're talking about The Way of Kings, I consider it as the best book I've ever read, seriously.
Yeah that could be it, they probably damage our attention span. I end up having to read the same page 3/4 times when there's something on my mind!
Yes, it is The Way of Kings, it was a slog for me.
Decided to DNF Gone Girl after reading 30% of the book, it is interesting that there are things that change our perceptions of people in few pages quite often but I don't feel captivated by the book. Maybe I will try another time.
Decided to DNF Gone Girl after reading 30% of the book, it is interesting that there are things that change our perceptions of people in few pages quite often but I don't feel captivated by the book. Maybe I will try another time.
Just finished Murakami's new translation Killing Commendatore
I found it to be outstanding and possibly my favorite Murakami book (probably a little recency bias but this and Wind Up Bird Chronicle are his best IMO).
I found it to be outstanding and possibly my favorite Murakami book (probably a little recency bias but this and Wind Up Bird Chronicle are his best IMO).
I love classic noir mysteries like Raymond Chandler, Dashiel Hammet, Chester Himes and I also like the The Wire writers that have novels like George Pelecanos and Richard Price, but not sure if those last two are strict mysteries
Good to hear, I'm asking for Killing Commendatore for xmas. What did you think of Kafka on the Shore? I think I liked it but it was fecking strange. Not averse to weird/surreal literature but many strands didn't really go anywhere.
I should have phrased that better as I haven't read that one. I've read 1Q84, Norwegian Wood, After Dark, Dance Dance Dance and Wind up Bird as well as some of his short stories.
Oh and you were asking about Pynchon. I really love Pynchon myself. I've read Crying, Inherent Vice, Against the Day and Bleeding Edge.
I had the goal of reading either Gravity's Rainbow or Vineland by the end of 2018 but I have 3-4 books in front of the queue so not sure I can make it by Dec.31st since I always add things to the queue before I make it all the way through.
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Thanks, didn't know about the Wire writers. The Wire was a great series.
I've begun to read a fun, harmless, but unambitious book called Deck the Halls. I'm going to read a few Christmas related books.
I am about 3/4 of the way through 2666 by Roberto Bolano, has anyone else read it?
Yes, fecking brilliant book, bizarre in that it's essentially five novels compressed into one, albeit they all relate strongly to each other. The fourth part (despite its ambition) is a bit of a slog at times, but if you're struggling at all then push on because part five is magnificent.
Cheers!
I finished the Part about the Crimes last night at midnight so I'll start on part 5 today when I get free time. It wasn't so much a slog for me but just mentally exhausting (I think that's the best word). All I could think of was the metaphor of an epidemic that spreads from a patient zero and then engulfs the whole city if that makes sense?
Indeed, it's fascinating the way he frames it - typically criminal-type stuff should be the exhilarating part of a book, but instead the smaller crimes and relationship-based stuff ends up being more interesting because it comes as a break from the endless number of crimes you're seeing reported. The way it's written, almost like dry reportage, means each victim gradually recedes into the background the further you progress, an accurate way of how we perceive crimes reported in the media. I remember a lot about the book and its various parts but probably couldn't name a single victim who got killed. Although I do remember the bit about the guy who was desecrating churches.
I bought The Savage Detectives a few weeks ago, will hopefully get to it before the end of the year. Love Bolano's short stories.
The Savage Detextives is brilliant too. So unique.
Yeah I've got it sitting there ready to read, will give it a go soon I reckon.
I DNFed Twelve Slays of Christmas - Jacqueline Frost.
Started Gravity's Rainbow but tentatively liking (and, I think, following it) so far. Very much feels like the precursor to Infinite Jest in its ultra-detailed, trippy style.